UPDATE: GameMaker Blog is alive and well but under new ownership, read more here. I’m leaving this post up as it was Matthew’s last post and explains why the blog was inactive for 18 months.
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Unfortunately, GameMaker Blog will be ceasing publication for the foreseeable future. I’m no longer able to maintain the website in addition to my real life and work obligations. Since GameMaker is a niche topic, it is extremely difficult to find writers who are knowledgeable about the extensive history of the software and who are able to maintain the level of consistency and quality that the community deserves. Even if this wasn’t the case, the task of managing, maintaining, and updating GameMaker Blog is not one I could confidently hand over to any person I know.
With the recent multimillion-dollar acquisition of YoYo Games by Playtech this decision comes at the end of an era for GameMaker users. It is a fitting end for GameMaker Blog, too.
Matthew
Sorry to here there won’t be more publication on this blog, but I also think it is a very respectful decision. Indeed keeping a blog in this niche is demanding and doesn’t tolerate a compromise with quality. And yes, hopefully you come back soon.
Sorry to hear that GM. Hopefully you make the decision to come back soon.
Things have changed a lot in the last few years, and I feel like there is no longer the sense of community that GameMaker once had. I enjoyed writing about GameMaker when it was primarily used as a learning tool for beginning programmers, instead of a way of gaining money and prestige. I think it’s pretty cool though that people like True Valhalla and Tom Grochowiak (if he’s still using GM) can earn a living of off GameMaker now. Anyhow I’m sure someone else will be willing to pick up writing about GameMaker on this blog. I haven’t visited the blog in a long time, but I read the article you posted about you, TV, being able to make a living off of your blogs and games, and I thought that was really neat. OK. Enough blabbering.
Sucks to hear that Game Maker Blog is shutting down. I’d personally wouldn’t mind managing it, but I lack the money to pay for a domain right now.
Its really so sad news for us to hear this shutting down. I think we can do a favor to this blog about arranging fund for domain maintenance..
It’s covered, don’t worry about that.
That being the case, I might have some ideas for some new content.
You have a very good blog.
Do you really think things will change with the new owners? I hope not because this is the first software I can remember I have learned anything on about creating anything game related and the community is very helpful.
It’s a shame if the site doesn’t continue to exist in some form. I hope at the least that you’ll keep the existing content up. And I hope if you aren’t able to continue providing new content that you can eventually find someone to step forward and take on ownership. There’s a big community of gamemaker devs out there, and I’m sure someone will want to keep it going. It’s just a matter of finding them.
I plan to keep the existing content online, and I will maintain both the domain and server at my own expense. I’m only interested in selling if the buyer has the community’s interests in mind, but as I mentioned I don’t expect to find anyone who matches this criteria and is also capable of running a niche website.
Thank you for all your efforts put into this excellent blog that will be sorely missed.
I’m a regular reader and every article was worth the time spent on them.
I have no clue what Yoyo will really become now after that multimillions Playtech acquisition, and I won’t even mention that Unreal Engine has been recently unleashed totally free or almost (/troll on which is far superior in all points to Gamemaker /troll off). It’s a bit strange to me to think that this blog ends at quite the same I take my decision to switch from GM Master to Unreal engine…
But all my enjoyment out of Gamemaker have always been associated with this current blog, and I just wanted to humbly thank you for that!
I never commented before. Started following your blog a year ago. I really enjoyed every article. Great job!
Thanks for all your hard work putting this blog together. We appreciated it! Good luck with all your future endeavours.